NEWBERRY — Local youth had the opportunity to learn valuable safety tips as well as the ins and outs of law enforcement this month as members of Cub Scout Pack 76 visited the Newberry Police Department. The troop was made up of third grade students.
Police Chief Roy McClurkin said he, along with Corporals Richard Mercer and Emily Seibert spoke with the group on the individual functions of each employee within the police department including Investigations, Evidence, Juvenile Officer and the Police Chief.
McClurkin said they talked with them about the equipment officers carry including tasers, service weapons, a bulletproof vest, radio, pepper spray and a baton.
Melissa Leitzey, den leader for Cub Scout Pack 76, said one of the group’s requirements was to visit a police station so she contacted Mercer to schedule a visit.
“I think our boys really learned a lot,” Leitzey said. “We were very excited about being there.”
Mercer spoke with parents along with the group about being safe online and to be cautious which websites their children were using. McClurkin said that Mercer spoke with parents of the importance of having an emergency safety plan in case something were to happen.
The social media app Mercer said he focused on was Instagram, as many pre-teens are getting away from Facebook and moving towards other forms of media. With Instagram, Mercer said many innocent kids are taking photos and geotagging their location which opens up more doors for danger.
“There are ways for people to search the internet and have access to someone’s full photo library and they would know who to look for and where to look for them,” Mercer said.
Leitzey said another important topic they discussed with officers was the importance of not doing drugs, not speeding and not drinking, along with not breaking other laws while driving.
“One thing they found interesting was that cops can guess the speed of a car going down the road,” Leitzey said.
After touring the department and several offices, McClurkin said the boys had questions ranging from how many calls they have per year to the procedures that must be followed in a court setting.
Several members of the group had questions about the weight of a bulletproof vest and if it would prevent an officer from running fast if needed, so they were given the opportunity to try them on.
“They were already very well informed and had a lot of knowledge regarding the criminal justice system,” Mercer said of the group. “They had a lot of energy and were very enthusiastic about learning even more about our criminal justice system.”
Mercer is the department’s Juvenile/Crime Prevention Officer and talks with groups about safety and gives tours on a regular basis, McClurkin said.
Both Mercer and McClurkin said they appreciate groups reaching out to them for future events, such as this.
“We appreciate them coming,” McClurkin said. “We are always enthusiastic about talking with young people and letting them know the functions of police officers and the police department. We are available any time for any group, just contact us.”
For more information on getting a tour set up for a group, contact McClurkin or Mercer at the City of Newberry Police Department at 321-1010.